A new way of thinking about dogs

In the past we have thought of ourselves as "owners" rather than "stewards" of our dogs. Stewardship implies commitment and caring. Too often, as "owners," we think of dogs as property. Therefore, when our dog develops a problem, often because of our own ineptness and lack of understanding, we get rid of him instead of getting rid of the problem. When we choose to become the steward of a dog, we are making a commitment to that dog's lifetime which, with some dogs, can be twenty years or more. Giving up a dog for adoption because of a behavior problem is not only traumatic to us, it is psychologically harmful to the dog as well.

Many dog problems are really people problems. Making a lifetime commitment to a dog is understanding that natural dog behaviors, such as barking, digging, and chewing, can be changed with patient consistency in establishing your leadership. Many misbehaviors are caused by boredom, overabundance of energy, loneliness, stress, lack of leadership, or medical problems. With information, you can help your dog overcome these causes.

Bonding involves building a trust between you and your dog. This trust can be built only by establishing your leadership, showing or telling your dog what behavior you expect, and giving lots of praise for good behavior. Having a leader is essential to a dog's security.

Before any of this can be done, your must choose the right dog for you and your family. A dog which may be a problem for you might be a pleasure for someone else, even though his behavior is the same for both. You must be aware of his activity level and his ability to get along with humans. It does not matter whether you choose a purebred or mixed breed dog. It is more important to know how well he can adapt to stress. This will determine whether or not he will have a behavior problem. Stress can be caused by being left alone at home all day, tied up or punished.

You can inadvertently teach your dog to misbehave. For example, your puppy runs barking to the door upon hearing the doorbell ring You pick him up and say, "That's okay, that's okay, it's only Martha. You don't need to bark." You have just told your puppy that his behavior is okay. By picking him up, talking to him in soothing tones, you have reinforced his behavior. Instead, the pup should have heard a firm verbal "NO!" followed by a ‘SIT" command and then, "GOOD DOG!" when he sat and stopped barking.

Physical punishment should never be administered to a dog. Hitting, kicking, and screaming are forms of punishment which do not help to establish a bond, the trust needed for a dog to see you as a fair but firm leader. Verbal praise and a good rub or two on the chest is all a dog really needs to know that he's receiving approval. Training a dog to sit/stay, down/stay, etc., is important in establishing your role as leader. Absent a leader, a dog will assume leadership. Food tidbits can be used as lured and rewards during training sessions. After learning has taken place, only occasionally reward with food, but keep up the praise to maintain the learning level. Be sure to be consistent in your commands and corrections, using the same ones each time. If you must reprimand your dog, do it with a firm, "NO!" always followed by a simple command, such as "Sit," then, "Good Dog!" This praise, following a reprimand, maintains the bond. Use a quiet, steady voice in giving commands. Dogs have an excellent sense of hearing. Raising the volume and repeating the command numerous times will not help. Say it once, use the food tidbit lure, expect the correct behavior, and wait. Then repeat. Your dog will eventually perform, and then you can praise and reward him with the food tidbit.

Try to understand the motivation for your dog's behavior. If your dog is digging, ask yourself why and try to eliminate the cause. Filling the hole with water and sticking his head in it is a futile attempt at treating the symptom rather than the cause. Also, this is a form of abuse and breaks the bond, thereby increasing stress and creating more behavior problems.

Many behavior problems are medically based, so if your dog suddenly starts messing in the house, whining, or chewing, see your veterinarian for a thorough check-up.

To adopt a dog is to make a commitment to care for his health, solve his behavior problems, give him praise, and provide leadership. To reduce his stress, give him plenty of exercise, good food (no table scraps), and do not physically or emotionally abuse him for behaving badly. If need be, take him to an obedience training class to help establish your leadership.